Beyond Designed Capture

There is a conventional wisdom about the origin of public range management in the American west that draws most of its evidence logically, but nevertheless circumstantially, from decades of subsequent policy. It is shared by advocates across the political spectrum, from conservative elected officials and ranchers to radical environmentalists. That conventional wisdom distracts the many individuals who have attempted to understand range policy, and it hampers recent attempts at range policy reform. Narrowly, the conventional wisdom concludes that the institutionalized management privilege of cattle ranchersover all other users—the capture of range management—was according to the design of the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934. In so concluding, the conventional wisdom contributes to the more general idea that forces are at work to make the colonization of a policy area by a particular interest the inevitable result of politics in a liberal democracy.

Revenue Sharing and Resource Management in Western States

Natural resource management agencies share revenue from sale of commodities with Western States (states north and west of Kansas and New Mexico) through five important programs, including the 25% Fund and PILT. Since 1977, the aggregate value of these payments has increased by about two-thirds, when measured in current dollars; in constant dollars, the aggregate value has decreased by about one-tenth. Revenues shared through the Mineral Lands Leasing Act accounted for the most (49%), and the Taylor Grazing Act accounted for the least (1%). An overview of major revenue-sharing programs is provided. West. J. Appl. For. 11(1):20-24.